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The Interns Meet Senator Grant Mitchell

Grant Mitchell currently sits on the Senate committee for Human Rights and is deputy chair of the Senate Committee for Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Mitchell had a number of insightful thoughts and ideas that he expressed to the interns, ranging from personal advice to his role as a Senator.

Some valuable advice that Mr. Mitchell gave to the interns was to be sure to ask people about themselves, and to show interest in their position and personal life. In reference to getting elected, he discussed the desire of the people to be heard, and emphasized that when going door-to-door in a campaign, you must ask the people what they want and respond accordingly. Considering that a few of us are interested in running for office, this was sound advice that we will have to keep in mind for our future campaigns!

One of the interns asked specifically about partisanship in the House, to which Mr. Mitchell responded that the level of partisanship is integral to the successful functioning of politics in Canada. He mentioned that partisanship is important for holding the government accountable, and ensuring diverse opinions within the House. Mr. Mitchell stated that Canadian politics is successful not only because of the strong level of partisanship, but also because of question period, and the various checks and balances in place throughout our political system.

Overall, it was very insightful speaking with a current Senator. We received a lot of inside information that helped us further understand the make-up and structure of the Senate, as well as representation throughout Canada. Thanks again to Mr. Mitchell for his time; we really appreciate him sharing his thoughts on such a wide variety of issues affecting Canadians.